Tearing machine of large width for the textile industry

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a tearing machine of large width. The feeding station is automatic. A centrifugal separator recycles the scraps recovered by the longitudinal pneumatic transport. It recycles them with the new scraps, in the stack with vibrating walls which extends itself over the entire width of the machine. The compartmentalized suction loading devices assure homogeneity of the fibrous cloth. A fibrous cloth of very high quality is produced on an evacuation conveyor belt. This cloth is homogenous over the entire width of the machine, which may extend to several meters.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tearing machine for use in thetextile industry.

2. Description of the Relevant Art

A machine of this type is known, for example, by French Patent 2 283247. This known machine comprises a feeding station which receivesvaried textile scraps, and introduces the scraps into a tearing drumwith points, which disintegrates the material. The fibers obtained inthis way are then evacuated in the form of a fibrous cloth whichconstitutes a basic pure material, for diverse subsequent fabrications.

Such a known disintegrator presents the distinctive feature of beingachieved along a relatively thin width, for example in the order of 80cm to 140 cm. The feeding is performed manually by an operator who putsthe textile scraps on the feeding conveyor belt.

In practice, it would be advantageous to be able to achieve such atearing along a much larger width (for example on the order of 2meters). This is impossible to achieve with the known technology citedabove. As a matter of fact, for one thing, such a width would be muchlarger than the breadth of a man in charge of the manual feeding.Additionally, the fibrous cloth obtained at the exit would present, onan equally large width, some significant irregularities, besidesirregularities in thickness and density.

The present invention tries to avoid these inconveniences, by providinga tearing machine of large width, for example on the order of 2 meters,and even larger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The tearing machine according to the invention comprises a rotary drumwith points or teeth extending the entire width of the machine. Thefeeding of the tearing drum is performed by an automatically functioningstation, comprising a vertical stack which receives the scraps to open,and in which these scraps are kept at an approximately constant level,while at least one of the partitions within the vertical stack, betweenwhich the scraps go down, comprises a vibrating assembly.

Following another characteristic of the invention, the vibrating wall ofthe feeding stack extends approximately the entire width of the machine,and accomplishes pulsations whose amplitude and frequency areadjustable.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the transverse andapproximately vertical walls of the feeding stack are both achieved witha vibrating method.

According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one ofthe vibrating walls comprises perforations which make it permeable tothe air, which permit recycling the recovered fibrous scraps there moredownstream in the machine and forwarded by pneumatic transport.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the pneumatictransport which assures the recycling of the recovered scraps, has acentrifugal separator at the lower part from which are gathered the hardand heavy scraps, while from the upper part, a flux of air moves forwardtoward the upper part of the feeding stack, the entirety of the usablelight fibers.

Following another characteristic of the invention, the machinecomprises, downstream from the rotary drum of points, a conveyor stripwith multiple perforations. A suction loading device is provided underthe conveyor strip and extending the entire width of the cloth. Thesuction loading device's interior space is divided into several suctioncompartments divided along the width of the machine. This arrangementassures homogeneity of the fibrous cloth produced over the entire widthof the machine, as well as uniformity in thickness and density.

Following another characteristic of the invention, the machinecomprises, above the rotary drum with points, a transverse bridge. Thelength of the bridge can move a sharpening mechanism in both directions.The sharpening mechanism comprises a sharpener with a bushel rotarygrindstone, in order to sharpen teeth of the drum over the entire lengthof the drum.

Following another characteristic of the invention, the machine is madein a modular form, meaning the fibrous cloth flows by successivelycrossing many modules, each of which comprises a tearing cylinder andits accessories cited above.

Following another characteristic of the invention, the machine inmodular form comprises two longitudinal rolling stacks, on which one candisplace the sharpening cross-piece. The cross-piece can then besuccessively brought over each of the rotary drums with points, therebyachieving the sharpening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and embodiments of the present invention will beunderstood by reference to the following specification and drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine according to theinvention, constituted by three successive modules side-by-side;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the detail of thefeeding station;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section, showing the mechanism which presentsthe textile scraps to the disintegrator drum;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the modules, showing inparticular the cloth making device, situated downstream from thedisintegrating drum;

FIG. 5 is a view along the direction of arrow V (FIG. 4);

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, after opening the cover which isfound at the upper part of the drum with points;

FIG. 7 is a section along line VII--VII in FIG. 4, showing the detail ofthe compartmentalized suction loading device;

FIG. 8 is a view along the direction of arrow VIII (FIG. 6), when thedrum is in position for receiving the sharpening cross-piece; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view along the direction of arrow IX (FIG. 1),showing the modular structure of the assembly of the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, the machine according to the present inventioncomprises an automatic feeding station 1, connected to many identicalmodules 2, 3, 4. At the exit, an evacuation station 5 puts out a fibrouscloth, homogeneous at one and the same time in thickness and in densityupon the entire width of the machine.

The usable width 6, as shown in FIG. 5 and 8, is practically equal tothe axial length of the tearing drum 7 of each module 2, 3, 4, thetearing drum 7 being disposed within a housing 60. It can be larger, forexample equal to several meters. The automatic feeding station 1comprises a vertical stack 8. The textile scraps for opening are pouredthrough the height of stack 8 (arrow 9 in FIG. 2).

Stack 8 extends itself on the entire width 6 of the housing 60 of themachine. In the interior, stack 8 comprises two approximately verticalpartitions or walls 10 and 11, between which pneumatic transport piping12 pours scraps for opening. At least one of walls 10, 11 vibrates. Thevibrating wall 11 is preferably perforated, so that it lets the air fromthe pneumatic transport 12 (arrows 13) escape, under the suction of anextractor 14. The scraps supplied by the pneumatic transport 31 arereceived at the bottom of the stack 8 (arrow 15), at the same time asrecovered, poured fibers are received along arrow 9.

Due to this arrangement, the fibers and scraps which fall on a feedingconveyor 17 form an approximately uniform cloth on the entire width ofthe machine. They are forwarded (arrow 15) toward the drum with pointsor teeth in the first module 2. For that, the cloth 18 in question endsup, in the known manner, between a feeding roller 19, and a reservetrough 20 are shown in FIG. 3. This trough 20 can be formed of aone-piece structure on the entire width of the machine, in a dividedform, that is, constituted by placing several pedals or treadles of thesame shape side-by-side.

After fibers are opened by the points of the rotary drum 7, fixed butadjustable deflecting sheet metal 21 separates the material in twostreams as shown in FIG. 4. The first stream consists of light textilefibers adequately open, which flow along the direction indicated byarrow 22. The other stream consists of solid scraps, or scrapsinsufficiently open 23, which fall on the horizontal valve 24 of abushel sieve. This valve 24 extends itself over the entire width of themachine, and it turns periodically (for example, every 10 seconds),following a 180° angle, around its transverse horizontal axle 25. Afixed receiving trough 26 is kept permanently below the horizontal valve24, by a suction returning the solid scraps in a pneumatic transportshaft 27, extending itself under the entire length of the machine (FIG.1). At its rear part, the shaft 27 is returning toward piping 28,situated at the upper part of the feeding station 1. This piping 28emerges tangentially in the tank of a centrifugal separator 29. In thelower part of this tank, one recovers (arrow 30), the hard and heavyscraps. On the contrary, at the upper part of separator 29, the reusablefibers are deducted in advance by piping 31 which recycles them towardfeed piping 12.

Downstream from each drum 7, fibers 22 fall on a perforated conveyorstrip 32 (FIGS. 4 and 5), which circulates continuously on rollers 33. Afixed suction loading device 34 is provided under this conveyor strip32, extending the entire width of the machine as seen in FIG. 7. Thefixed suction loading device 34 is divided into many compartments suchas 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, disposed one next to the other over the entirewidth 6 of the machine. All of these compartments 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 areconnected at a common lateral suction 40, which thus keeps the interiorspace of loading device 34 hollow and, consequently, the spaces in theperforated conveyor strip 32 are kept clear. Due to this disposition,the fibers forwarded along the direction of arrow 22 form, on thisconveyor strip 32, a fibrous cloth 41, whose homogeneity stayssatisfactorily uniform over the entire width 6 of the machine, as far asthe thickness and density are concerned. The cloth 41 is then senttoward the following module, such as 3, 4, until, finally, at the exitfrom the machine, the evacuation station 5 provides the fibrous cloth onits evacuation conveyor belt 42 (FIG. 1). The fibrous cloth has all thedesired quality and a perfect homogeneity on the entire width of themachine, even if this width is equal to several meters.

In each module 2, 3, 4, the drum with points 7 has a raisable cover orlid 43 mounted on it. (FIGS. 4 and 6). When this lid 43 is raised (FIG.6), while the machine is at rest, one can conduct the sharpening of thepoints or needles of the corresponding drums 7. To accomplish thissharpening, the invention provides on both sides of the upper part ofthe machine, two longitudinal rotating stacks 44, on which theextremities of the cross-piece 45 can rotate. The length of thiscross-piece, meaning transversely in comparison with the entirety of themachine (double arrow 46 on FIG. 8), can displace itself over a groove47, and a sharpener 48 of which the lower extremity carries in rotationa millstone 49, of a type in itself known. In this way, when thecross-piece or sharpening bridge 45 is stopped above a drum 7, it issufficient to displace it alternatively the length of the groove 47, inorder to sharpen all the points of the drum 7 situated on thecorresponding generator. A rotation of the drum 7 permits in this waysharpening the totality of these points. Due to this arrangement, onesees that a single sharpening bridge 45 allows the sharpening of thepoints of all the drum 7 of the machine.

Means are provided for selectively regulating both the amplitude andfrequency, the movements of wall 11, and eventually of wall 10 ofautomatic feeding station 1. This assures a good discharge of themajority of the scraps 16, and provides an even density at the lowerpart of the passage, before the transfer (arrow 15) toward the feedingapparatus of the tearer, opener, disintegrator, or the like.

Referring to FIG. 4, the suction 50 comprises pneumatic piping 51 and52, formed with the assembly of the loading device 34, the perforatedstrip 32 and its support parts 33 or drive parts, and a block 53 thatone can take out, in the fashion of a drawer, by lateral sliding (seeFIG. 9, arrow 54). This considerably facilitates the maintenanceoperations of the machine.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description is merelyexemplary and not limitative, and that the true scope of the inventionis that defined in the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A tearing machine, comprising:a rotary tearing drum havingteeth, the rotary drum disposed within a housing and extending a widthequal to the tearing machine; and means for automatically feeding thetearing drum with textile scraps, wherein the automatic feeding meanscomprises: a vertical scrap receiving stack; two approximately verticalwalls, at least one of which vibrates, disposed within the receivingstack; a passage formed in the interior of the vertical walls; andpneumatic transport piping in communication with the passage, thepassage receiving an approximately constant level of the textile scrapsfrom the piping.
 2. The tearing machine as defined in claim 1 whereinthe vibrating wall of the scrap receiving stack extends approximatelythe entire width of the housing, and includes means for selectivelyregulating the amplitude and frequency of the wall vibrations.
 3. Thetearing machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the approximately verticalwalls of the scrap receiving stack both vibrate.
 4. The tearing machineas defined in claim 1 further comprising means for recycling recoveredtextile scraps downstream in the tearing machine.
 5. The tearing machineas defined in claim 4 wherein the recycling means comprises a pluralityof perforations formed in at least one of the vibrating walls, the oneperforated vibrating wall having air flow through it and into anextractor, the extractor being connected to, and in communication withthe scrap receiving stack.
 6. The tearing machine as defined in claim 1,further comprising:centrifugal separating means, in communication withthe pneumatic transport piping, for separating hard and heavy scrapsdownward and reusable light fibers upward and forward toward an upperpart of the scrap receiving stack.
 7. The tearing machine as defined inclaim 1, further comprising:a conveyor strip having a plurality ofperforations, the strip being downstream from the rotary tearing drum; asuction loading device under the conveyor strip and extending the entirewidth of the housing; and an interior space defined by the loadingdevice and divided along the width of the housing into several suctioncompartments.
 8. The tearing machine as defined in claim 7, furthercomprising:a displaceable transverse bridge disposed above the tearingdrum; and means, attached to the bridge, for sharpening the teeth of thedrum over the entire length of the drum.
 9. The tearing machine asdefined in claim 8 wherein the sharpening means comprises a sharpenerhaving a bushel rotary grindstone.
 10. The tearing machine as defined inclaim 8 wherein the machine is in a modular form, each module comprisingthe tearing drum, the perforated conveyor strip and the suction loadingdevice, such that a fibrous cloth produced, successively crosses severalmodules.
 11. The tearing machine as defined in claim 10, furthercomprising means for successively sharpening the tearing drum teeth ofeach module.
 12. The tearing machine as defined in claim 11, wherein thesuccessive sharpening means comprises two longitudinal rolling stacksdisposed beneath the sharpening means.
 13. The tearing machine asdefined in claim 7 further comprising:means for guiding the perforatedconveyor strip; means for driving the guiding means; means forsuctioning textile scraps; and a laterally sliding block comprising theperforated conveyor strip, the suction loading device, the guidingmeans, the driving means, and the suctioning means.